The Shadow of Shepard
by Falcon277
Summary: Energy can not be destroyed, nor created in the modern universe. After their defeat the Reapers consciousness is transferred into the one that ended them all, for that was always the only option available. (Samara/Reaper*FemShep) (Miranda/OC)


The Shadow of Shepard

Energy can not be destroyed, nor created in the modern universe. After their defeat the Reapers conciousness is transferred into the one that ended them all, for that was always the only option available.

Prologue

On a relatively small world, scared and bruised by the mechanisations of war, people both foreign and native, alive and synthetic cheered up into the darkness. They had won. The Reaper war that had threatened to destroy all sapient life in the galaxy was closing all across the gulf of space, on worlds alien in flora, fauna and culture. The losses had been great, of all the races that took part in the retaking of the blue planet Earth, there was none that had lost as much as the others. The casualties were unprecedented. Alas there was now hope, a hope born from the actions of one woman. Commander Shepard of the Alliance, a human that had at every turn combated the Reapers with blessing or no.

Many months after the end of the war reports concluded that the Commander had died in the battle, just another casualty on the long list of names. Her crew, an assortment of misfits from all walks of life, took the news hard, but none took it harder than the one thousand year old Asari Justicar named Samara, although she would never outwardly express her pain. She had waited during those months in hope that she would see the human again, for as she would tell any who asked her, "The commander and I had... unfinished business". Of course she was talking of the romantic tension that existed between the two, Shepard was the first person she had actually trusted or named friend in many centuries. Before the battle the two had shared a sweet moment, prohibited by Samara's code, but that made it all the sweeter.

So Samara waited for Shepard in hope, for the human had against all odds found a spot deep in Samara's heart that she her self thought had died many centuries ago. She reasoned that the commander would be found alive for she had a track record of besting the odds, yet all in vain. The official report from the many rescue teams scouring the remains of the citadel confirmed that the commander was dead. The crew mourned. Yet after so much death it sort of felt right in a way. The crew although never having lost one of their own except for legion, Thane and Mordin, had been around death plenty, so like all others who had lost much more, they moved on.

Garrus went back to Palaven a hero, and was invited to become a Primarch, of course he refused saying that, "I am a solider, not a leader,". Much to the Hierarchies disappointment, he however was a welcome advisor from time to time. He went back to work for C-Sec after the citadel was repaired, even though he had made it quite clear that he hated his time there, the familiarity gave him comfort.

Tali went back to Rannoch to help her people and the Geth rebuild their home. She built herself a modest house on the spot that she and Shepard had landed during their incursion onto Rannoch, a fateful day that saw both creator and creation make peace. Tali strove to uphold the peace that Shepard had forged. She encouraged her population to trust in the Geth, slowly and surly her peers came around to her ideas.

EDI and Joker stayed together. The many people who knew them were a bit put off by their unorthodox relationship, yet were willing to turn a blind eye due, large in part, to their role in the war. They lived together on Earth, in a small apartment in walking distance of their job. As tour guides of the SSV Normandy, in the Museum dedicated to the Reaper war in Vancouver.

Jack, finished with fighting, became a high school teacher. Her tongue still gets her into trouble with the school board from time to time, but as her time with the biotic's told, she knack for it.

Miranda went to Earth and was absolved of her crimes of association with Cerberus. She then later went onto become the human councillor on the new citadel council, which was a political move questioned by many. "She is Cerberus." they would say, yet despite the misgivings she would become the most popular Councillor in history.

Javik left with little to no trace, as he said he would. Never to be heard from again. Although now and again rumours and whispers of the Prothean found their way into many stories on many world, one had only have to look closely.

Liara, maintained her information sources, using them to help rebuild the galaxy. While majority of the Shadow broker network was all but destroyed, a few pockets survived. She then later went back to Thessia with her father, determined to make good on the time Shepard had given her.

Jacob did name his child after Shepard after all. "Jane, the finest name in the whole damn galaxy." of course nearly every one thought so too, Jane even became the most popular name in Krogan society for both males and females.

Ashley continued to serve the Alliance becoming an admiral in no time. Her fleet maintained order in the Systems alliance space during those tumultuous years of rebuilding, where the law and order was under strain by those with little moral fibre.

Wrex and Grunt both went back to Tunchunka. Wrex maintained his leadership over the many Krogan clans. And with his mates help began to rebuild their society. While Grunt... well he still has a lot of growing up to do.

Zaeed tried to fit into this peaceful order, yet found that too hard. He was heard so often saying, "I need to blow some damn thing up!" that he was frequently reported to the numerous policing bodies. He however turned his destructive nature toward bettering the galaxy by hunting down the meanest of law breakers.

Kasumi was set in her ways and continued to steal things, that was what she did. In her own words. "Someone has to keeps all these people on their toes." She remained in constant contact with her best friend Tali, who to her credit to pry to deeply into the thief's day to day activities.

Samara continued being a Justicar, despite the destruction of her order and like Zaeed hunted down those who would take advantage of this turbulent time. However she balanced this with the chance the commander gave her, to spend time with her sole surviving daughter Falere. She thought of Shepard often, thought about how different her life might have been if Shepard had survived.

Shepard had given her crew and the rest of the galaxy life. Shepard had died fighting the reapers. Or did she? For if that was true there would be no story to tell. For the Commander had not perished, she was very much alive.

Hidden away in secrecy in the farthest recesses of the citadel at the heart of the galaxy. Commander Jane Shepard of the Alliance was being kept alive. None knew of her, except the keepers that kept her breathing. Now one may ask why? Why did the keepers do this. The answer, as simple as it is would have ramification of the highest order for everyone, but most of all for her crew. The keepers look after their own.

During the final moments of the war, Jane Shepard was not presented with a choice. Her only option as explained by the Crucible was to transfer the reapers out of their near invincible bodies, into something more vulnerable. For that is what the Crucible was, a relay for the reapers collective. The vulnerable 'thing' was quite obvious, herself. She transferred the entire collective intelligence of all the reapers in the galaxy, beaming them directly into herself via the Mass Relay network. She should have died, she had been counting on it, the human mind can only hold approximately 300 years of information. But the mind works in mysterious ways, and when you throw in reaper technology into the mix, outcomes can become even more wild. For Shepard had uploaded billions of years worth of knowledge, knowledge and memoires from races long gone. Forgotten in time. Now remembered. And with these thoughts came the voices, the ideologies and the cold logic of the Reapers. Shepard's mind was shattered.

While the galaxy mourned and moved on and repaired around her, she slept, her mind healing all that it could with the help of the keepers. Years passed and the galaxy grew complacent in the lie that the reaper threat had died. If only the galactic leaders knew, for the reapers were waking up in a very confused body.


End file.
